Marshall and Barney
General Outline Marshall and Barney have been friends since 2001. Like with Ted, Barney wanted to teach Marshall how to live meaning he was going to help Marshall sleep with various women as he does. Being loyal to Lily, Marshall refused his offer. Regardless of this, Barney and Marshall became friends and Barney accepted the fact that Marshall was committed to Lily. Throughout the show, Marshall and Barney's friendship has become stronger due to them becoming co-workers and eventually Barney being the one who marries Marshall to Lily. After being caught in the moment of reconciliation between Ted and Barney, Marshall said that he saw both of them as brothers. The two do fight over which one of them is Ted's best friend, which has become a running gag in the show. From Marshall's perspective, he most likely sees Barney as his second best friend. Although Marshall disapproves of Barney's womanizing ways and dismissed the advice Barney gave to him about women before he and Lily were married, he still loves hearing Barney's dirty jokes. Marshall sees Barney as someone who looks out for him due to Barney helping him get his job when he had financial troubles, helping him fit in at work, and most importantly convincing Lily to leave her art fellowship in San Francisco and come back to New York to get back together with him. From Barney's perspective, he most likely sees Marshall as his second best friend as well. Although Barney gets annoyed by the corny things Marshall says regarding romance and his relationship with Lily, he has said that Marshall is the best man he knows. Before Marshall married Lily, Barney wanted him to break up with her and be single with him and Ted. Due to Marshall's commitment towards Lily and his desire to help the environment, it's possible that Barney sees Marshall as a younger version of himself, when he wanted to join the Peace Corps and was committed to his college girlfriend, Shannon. Because Shannon broke Barney's heart and cheated on him, Barney may have been trying to protect Marshall from the heartache that he went through. Barney eventually gained an understanding of Marshall that was good enough for him to know that Marshall would never be truly happy without Lily, which is why he kept stealing girls away from him after Lily broke up with him and convinced Lily to come back to New York to get back together with him. Background Shortly after Barney met Ted, Barney and Marshall met in 2001. Similar to his initial meeting with Ted, Barney decided to teach Marshall how to live as well after learning that he has only had sex with one woman. Marshall, being committed to Lily, refused his offer. Barney then asked Marshall if his girlfriend was as hot as the redhead that just entered MacLaren's. When Marshall and Ted saw that the woman Barney was talking about was actually Lily, they decided to play a trick on him. The two of them acted out a skit, where Marshall pretended that he wanted have sex with someone new and Ted tried to convince Marshall out of it. Barney, excited that Marshall was taking his advice, gave him a "pep talk" where he told Marshall that he could do this, but most likely he probably can't and that the important thing was that hitting on the hot redhead would boost his confidence. As Marshall left to hit on Lily, Barney laughed and told Ted that Marshall was going to crash and burn. Barney was incredibly surprised and spat out his drink when he saw Marshall make out with Lily. He then told Ted that Marshall was a god among men. Afterwards, Barney followed Marshall around and asked him to teach him how to live instead. Marshall apparently allowed Barney to believe that Lily was some random girl for about a week (he even got Barney to do his laundry). Show Outline Significant Episodes Season 1 * - Barney gets Marshall an internship and helps him buy a suit * - Barney conscripts Marshall in a prank war Season 2 * - Barney is Marshall's wingman * - Marshall and Barney make a bet * - Barney tries to take over Marshall's bachelor party. Marshall learns that Barney was responsible for him reuniting with Lily Season 3 * - Marshall and Barney first meet * - Barney confides his bro code violations to Marshall * - Barney tries to give Marshall advice about work Season 4 * - Barney helps Marshall get a job at GNB * - Barney turns to Marshall for advice on Robin. Marshall turns to Barney for advice on job security * - Marshall's nightshirt seduces Barney * - Marshall taunts Barney with a slap * - Marshall and Barney team up to prank Ted * - Barney mocks Marshall's pantlessness * - Marshall and Barney are excited to have Ted work with them but Barney sabotages Ted. Marshall helps him see his wrong * - Marshall and Barney team up to keep Ted from learning that his project has been scrapped Season 5 * - Marshall joins Ted in trying to break up Barney Season 6 * - Marshall serves as wingman to Barney in a seduction of Ted * - Barney tries to help Marshall fire Randy *''The Perfect Cocktail'' - When Marshall becomes Zoey's lawyer in her fight to save the Arcadian, he and Barney start fighting. Category:Relationships